Don't let the insects bug you: Tuck your pants and shirts in, use DEET, and do plenty of tick checks

Saturday

May 11, 2013 at 3:15 AM

By Mikaela K. Reynoldsmreynolds@fosters.com

ROCHESTER — Just when it's time to start heading outside to soak up the summer sun and the warm air, the bugs hit.

Unfortunately, these pests aren't just annoying — they can also carry deadly diseases. Fortunately, there are things you can do to protect yourself.

In N.H., we have 15 different species of ticks. The two most common in the area are the American dog tick and the blacklegged tick. Tick season runs twice a year, from March to July and September through November. June is the riskiest time for tick bites, according to Dr. Alan Eaton, Pest Management Specialist and Cooperative Extension Specialist at the University of New Hampshire.

“The recent really dry weather has shut down the tick activity,” said Eaton. The recent rain “will kick it back up.” Warm, dry weather is one the leading causes of death for tick populations. However, it takes weeks of that weather to have an effect on the local populations.

“When the weather is really dry, ticks burrow into the ground,” said Eaton. He explained they remain in the wet ground until rainfall moistens the surface. However, if a dry spell lasts for a substantial length of time, “they will start dying,” he said.

In New Hampshire, the main disease carrier is the blacklegged tick, which is a known carrier of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

“We are currently third in the nation for incidents of Lyme disease,” said Eaton.

“The most important thing is to check yourself every day during tick season,” he said.

Christine Adamski, the Department of Health and Human Services Bureau Chief for Infectious Diseases, echoed his sentiments. “To reduce risk, set up a barrier between the tick and your skin,” she said, adding that tucking pants into socks and shirts into pants are great ways to build that barrier.

She recommended tick repellents that have DEET content of 20 percent or more.

Not all ticks carry the bacteria that spreads infection, but to be safe all ticks should be removed immediately. Forceps are a great option for removal, but other options are available. Ticked Off is a spoonlike removal product by a Dover-based company that Eaton suggests for those who prefer something other than forceps.

It is a commonly held theory that when removing a tick, the head is often left behind and causes the disease. Eaton clarified “usually the mouth is what breaks off and I don't think it's a significant concern for disease.”

Adamski adds “a tick has to be on a person for 24-36 hours before it can infect.”

Symptoms of Lyme disease are often very general. They include fever, headache, and exhaustion. Some may even experience a rash that looks like a bull's-eye as the site of the bite. Adamski advises anyone with a bite who is experiencing these symptoms to consult with a health care provider.If ticks aren't enough to bother you there's always black flies, of which there are more than 40 species throughout the state. These insects may be the most annoying, as they have a knack for flying into faces, but in this area they are not known disease carriers for humans.

Black flies like fresh, clear running water. Streams and rivers are breeding grounds for the insects. These pests “have been out for weeks and will continue through most of June,” said Eaton.

These bloodsuckers are aggressive pest for purely survival reasons. The adult females are the biters, but they do so to gather enough blood to produce their eggs.

“They evolved this aggressive behavior for survival,” said Eaton of the black fly's reputation for flying into faces.

Their bites and annoying behavior can be avoided though. “Cover up, wear repellent, and wear headsets,” said Eaton.And if ticks and black flies aren't enough to bug you, there's always mosquitoes ready to do their pesky best.

Like black flies, there are more than 40 species of mosquitoes throughout the state and — just like black flies — only the adult females do the biting. These bloodsuckers also dwell and breed in water, but mosquitoes prefer stagnant pools to running water.

These insects are most active at the end of the summer, in August and September.

“In ideal weather conditions, they have the ability to build up really high numbers in a really short time,” said Eaton. That ideal weather is warm days followed by rain, the weather the area is experiencing right now.

The Department of Health and Human Services won't be testing until July, but in past years there have been carriers of West Nile virus (WNV) and Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) found in the state. Cases are rare but in 2012, there was one case of West Nile virus in a human.

Adamski explained these diseases begin in birds but are not transmitted from birds to people. And they cannot be transmitted from person to person. Instead a mosquito must bite an infected bird before biting a human to spread the infection.

Symptoms for both diseases are similar with fever and headaches. West Nile symptoms may seem mild with a light fever and soreness in joints and muscles. Triple E symptoms are neurological and can create a change in mental status, like a sudden sleepiness or a lack of alertness.

The key to avoiding diseases that they spread is in limiting the number of bites you get.

“Wear repellent, wear long pants and long-sleeve shirts when possible, make sure screens around your house are intact, and try not to be outside when they are most active — in the early evening,” said Adamski. She also recommends repellent with DEET to keep mosquitoes at bay.

Eaton suggests eliminating any unnecessary pools of water around your property. He echoed Adamski's sentiments for wearing repellent with DEET.

On his page on the UNH website at extension.unh.edu, Eaton has publications on which repellents to wear and which to leave at the store, as well as on the other pests discussed.

More information on the diseases detailed in this article can be found on the Department of Health and Human Services website at dhhs.nh.gov.